---
title: "How FMCG Distributors Can Introduce Sales Management Software to Improve Their Management Level?"
description: "Personnel management has always been a headache for distributors, as it's hard to monitor what salespeople do and sell each day without proper oversight, leading to 'shepherding' behavior. Using sales management software is a trend and a necessary condition for improving management, but many distributors lack the right approach during implementation, causing abandonment. This article shares personal implementation experience from three stages and two levels."
author: "赵波"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2015-12-11"
language: "en"
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# How FMCG Distributors Can Introduce Sales Management Software to Improve Their Management Level?

> Personnel management has always been a headache for distributors, as it's hard to monitor what salespeople do and sell each day without proper oversight, leading to 'shepherding' behavior. Using sales management software is a trend and a necessary condition for improving management, but many distributors lack the right approach during implementation, causing abandonment. This article shares personal implementation experience from three stages and two levels.

Personnel management has always been a headache for distributors. Without good management and monitoring, it's inevitable that salespeople will 'shepherd' (i.e., slack off) during the day. Additionally, using sales management software to improve management is a trend and a necessary condition for enhancing management. However, many distributors often lack the right methods during implementation, leading to abandonment. How to introduce sales management software? The author shares personal implementation experience from three stages and two levels:

The introduction of sales software should start from two levels:
1. Market Operations: This refers to the phased introduction of specific work content closely related to sales during the software implementation, mainly including network introduction, route correction, and market optimization.
2. Management: This refers to specific work done to adjust employees' negative work attitudes during software implementation, such as software training, morning meeting tracking, incentive and punishment, and setting benchmarks.

Sales management software can generally be divided into three stages:

**Stage 1: Introduction Stage**
Import all market networks and routes into the sales management software, and reorganize daily processes around the software usage (simplify or add new work content). This stage is the most critical for success.
Time: The focus is to import product information and networks into the system, taking about 2-4 weeks, not too slow.

**Operational Level:**
A. Product Information Import:
At the initial stage, all products represented by the trading company should be imported into the backend system according to specifications and categories. The import depends on the number and specifications of products. Generally, software vendors' technicians will assist. Key points:
1. Product specifications should be imported based on actual conditions, the finer the better, and avoid entering without distinguishing flavors.
2. Products must be imported by brand, category, and subcategory; avoid lumping all together.
3. Consider whether current return processes conflict with the system's return methods. Returns include exchanges and direct returns; plan ahead.
4. Check if product pricing (for second-tier, KA, etc.) and giveaway processes conflict with existing financial product processes. Adjust accordingly. Include non-product giveaways in the system.
5. Consider whether to do a one-time inventory count and import into the software. If so, conduct a full inventory check and import actual stock quantities.

B. Network Import:
There are two methods to import terminal networks:
Method 1: Enter based on actual transactions with current supply terminals. This is relatively easy; salespeople can enter during normal visits, provided they follow pre-divided routes. Tip: If local population data is available, divide sales areas by 60,000-100,000 population, then import products in stores, and gradually develop networks based on population and density.
Method 2: Enter all target channel networks at once, then gradually develop and integrate into routes based on actual product presence. This clarifies coverage but is labor-intensive and hard to update.

Steps:
1. Evaluate and select a main channel to focus on, conduct market inventory over a week, and record product presence for all outlets. Design a statistics form and have clerks enter data by area and salesperson.
2. Re-divide areas based on actual product presence, design visit cycles (typically 6-8 days), and allocate outlets evenly using nearest and right-hand principles.
3. Import all networks into the software over about a week during normal visits.
4. Use the software for route visits and sales orders, strictly following designed processes. Watch for conflicts with financial software regarding returns and giveaways.

Tip: A clerk can sometimes be more valuable than a sales manager, so consider hiring a clerk before an external sales manager.

**Management Level:**
Employee resistance is the main reason for failure. Salespeople resist POS devices for two reasons:
1. They find it troublesome and unfamiliar, leading to fear and resistance to change.
2. They feel monitored, losing opportunities to slack or falsify.
3. It disrupts existing workflows, causing confusion.

These are core reasons for failure. Based on experience, implement plans and processes in stages, starting with easy tasks. When changing the team, remember:
- Fill pockets first, then change minds.
- Adjust attitudes first, then habits.
- Establish standards first, then change the market.

Explanation: Start with simple functions, provide timely and effective rewards (small but frequent daily cash prizes), and make users realize the software can increase income, thus changing attitudes and habits.

During attitude change, continuously communicate benefits: increased income, improved efficiency, effective decision-making, and data analysis. Once the team accepts, gradually introduce all management functions.

Specific tasks in the initial stage:
1. Software training: Vendors usually provide training, but results vary. Assign a dedicated person to coordinate, and ensure managers understand the software. Address common issues in daily morning meetings.
2. Use morning meetings for daily management tracking and data analysis. Use projectors to demonstrate market issues and data. Track and correct to ensure smooth operation. Start using backend data for comparisons and rankings, and develop your own management tables.
3. Establish reward and punishment mechanisms with positive incentives. Set benchmarks by praising positive employees. Set easy goals, e.g., reward 20 yuan for lunch for those who complete route entry. In the first week, give an extra 10 yuan for those who follow normal sales processes with photos. Use small, achievable tasks to boost enthusiasm. If there's widespread resistance, organize team meals to soothe emotions.

Tips:
- The boss must personally participate in the first stage, stating reasons, attitude, and determination.
- Use new phones and data subsidies as company benefits.
- If initial workload is heavy, phase it: week 1 for network entry, week 2 for route visits with photos, week 3 for sales orders.

**Stage 2: Correction and Expansion Stage**
After the introduction stage, sales gradually normalize, but network discovery, route rationality, and workflow simplicity need continuous optimization.
Time: Focus on correcting routes and networks, continuous network development, and optimizing conflicting processes. This stage takes 2-6 months, not too fast.

**Operational Level:**
1. Establish terminal operation standards: Build a standardized, visualized, and quantifiable terminal operation management system based on the software. For example, Jinmailang's terminal visit system quantifies all tasks: 15 yuan for visiting over 15 stores, 0.25 yuan per poster photo, points for shelf facings and price tags. This drove growth despite industry decline. Distributors can use photo management to quantify and evaluate work.
2. Expand routes and networks: After about six months, expand visit cycles from 6-7 days to 8-10 days to free time for new network development. Set phased goals. A route should have at least 20 stores for delivery and 30 for order taking. As networks grow, add staff and delivery capacity.
3. Establish daily reports: The system accumulates valuable data like product presence rate, SKU distribution, top 50 stores by sales, top 50 SKUs, visit-to-order ratio, and shelf facings. These are crucial for decisions. Develop daily, weekly, and monthly financial/sales reports. (Reference to previous articles on 14 essential reports.)

**Stage 3: Optimization and Execution**
Correction and execution alternate. Execution means following optimized processes for sales management and data feedback, forming routine reports to boost performance.
At this stage, market data is digitized, so decisions can be based on data rather than intuition. Distributors can gradually introduce brands, centralized order taking, or O2O distribution to reduce logistics costs.

Ultimately, effective route management through software keeps transactions in control, and network control accelerates development. Future growth depends on capital strength.

**-END-**

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